Pieces of Paris…

Dilek Hanif SS13 Haute Couture Collection

A Century of Romance is the title of her collection, and the theme is in,spired by the styles of the Ottoman empire and the Seljuq culture put together with a modern touch. The ancient Ottoman style shows in the ethnic « harem » aspects while the minimalist, art deco and geometric Seljuq elements combine to create a breathtaking collection.

A quite stunning silk fabric was used for a couple of pieces in the collection, this silk, called kemha, is colored with natural floral dyes and hand woven with real gold or silver strands. It takes a whole days work to create ten centimeters of fabric! The technique used dates back to the 16th century and the looms used to create these fabrics can be operated by only one person. Dilek Hanif has this silk fabric made for her by Armaggan.

The collection holds a stunning array of light, airy, pale peach, pink, nude and whites alongside the more colorful kemha fabric. The details that stand out are the silk rope belts, and the incredible embroidery. It’s ultra feminine, modern yet faithful to traditional craftsmanship and fairytale elements of style. It kind of makes me want to be an Ottoman princess for a day!